The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-10-14
PowpERLYs VIEWS.


The Master workman's Annual address
to the knights of Labor-The Order
Has No Use for Anarchists-A National
Labor Department and Government Con-
troll of the Telegraph Recommended.
MINNEAPOLIS Miitn.; Get THE Knights
of Labor convention opened at $40 yes
terday morning with 225 delegates pres
ent.
communication was presented an
| nouncing that the National Farmers Ali
ance had appointeda committee to confer
with the Knights with view to the fornla-
ton of a cooperative bureau, through which
the two bodies could work in harmony.
No immediate action was taken on the
proposition.
vain effort was made to secure seat in
the convention for G. j. Driscou, Chief Of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Colorado
Mrs Maria Todd of Michigan, was also de-
MED admission. Schilling, of Chicago,
moved that John Morrison, ofNew York. be
reinstat3d, but the presiding officer de-
clared the motion out of order.
Mr.. Powderly's address, which was deliY-
cred in the afternoon, fills sixty-four pagee
of an ordinary pamphlet, and contains
about $4,000 words. Asynopsis is as fol-
lows.
He began by saying he expected better things
of this body than of lbs predecessor, because it
was smaller. The last assembly was large,
unwieldy body, which dissolved amid the war
of factions and discontinued men. He contin-
ued
1--WE adjourned year ago with dissension in
our ranks; that dissension was enlarged upon
and scattered to the world by enemies from
within and from without. The news Of diseord
reached the ears of the employers oflabor, and
they in many instances took advantage of what
they mistook for our weakness and rushed into
conflict with our members IN various parts of
the country"
Here follows complete history of the IA
nous Chicago strike last year, including all the
correspondence with Messrs. Barry and Carl
ton, and the reasons for every step TAKEN Re
garding the relation of the order to the con-
demned Anarchists Mr.. Powderly says:
Let me say here that I have never, as has
| been so much asserted by the press Of the
land. concluded Socialism with Anarchism l
draw a wide line Of distinction between the
two, as every reading, thinking man
must will ask of the General
Assembly to define the position of the order on
the attempts that have been made to prostitute
it to such base uses as the Anarchists
would put it. 1 have never publicly uttered
sentiment regarding the course of the seven
men who are condemned to death in Chicago
(this is written September 10, 1880. I will now
give my opinion. If these men did not have
fair trial. such as is guaranteed every man in
the United States then they should be granted
new trial. If they have not been found guilty
of murder they should not be hanged. If they
are to be hanged for the actions Of others it is
not just. The man who threw the bomb in Chi
cago should be hanged and his accomplices
should receive the punishment allotted to such
offenses by the laws of the State of Illinois.
The Denver question was next discussed as
follows:
II regarded the whole affair as an outrage,
and the questions as being mpertinent rascally
and prompted by malice CT revenge. The reso-
luton which should pass is one to demand that
every avowed Anarchist be obliged to withdraw
from the order or be expelled. We have moth
| ing to fear from the trade union but every
thing to fear from the communicating influence
of the men who preach destruction in the name
OF our order, and who at the same time assert
| that they are Socialists while giving the lie to
| every principle of Socialism when they adYo-
| cate violence of any kind.
| Mr.. Powderly then gave a history of his sup
posed connection with the Home Club of New
York. Next his recommendation to the
| Knights to celebrate the Fourth of July was
| touched upon. His reason for issuing this Cir
| cular was because so much had been said dur
| ing the previous twelve months regard
Ing buo l0HulLS VI LHG IdUOT ORGANIZATIONS TO
1awlessness and disregard for law and the
flag and constitution Of the country that he de-
termned to put the order to u test He was
not disappointed in the result MIR. PoWdery
continued:
II believe the day has come for the Knights
of Labor to ask at the hands of Congress
! the passage of a law creating department
of labor at the seat of the National Gov
| eminent. We have to-day department
Of do
parison to department of labor. The
prosperity of the whole country rests on the
broad shoulders of labor and there is nothing
now so prominently before the Nation and the
world as the question of labor. Nearly every
action taken now by the Executive or his Cab-
net deals in one way or another with the ques
ton of labor; its ramfications extend every
where, its power is felt everywhere and its use.
fulness is now recognized everywhere.
st believe that the Government of the United
Sta es should operate it's own lines of tele
graph. l believe that it is absolutely neces
sary for the welfare and prosperity of the coun
try that the Government establish telegraph
system, to be used in the interest of the peo
pie. I recommended that steps be taken to
have the next Congress act on bill to estab-
fish Governmental telegraph, to be run in con-
nection with the postal service
Mr.. Powderly thinks that the order should
before Congress; that the full strength of the
organization should be concentrated on them
and that the above two demands are
the most important. He also recon-
mends the publication of journal under the
control of the order, which should discuss these
questions and generally aim to educate it's
members Mr.. Powderly then asks that a bet
ter plan than the present be adopted for the
regulation of State, Territorial, mixed and
trade assemblies. He continues:
zone thing that draws our members away
from us is the facilities afforded them to Sc
cure assistance of pecuniary nature in other
organizations, some of which are not in sym
pathy with order; and if our members
could but receive the relief in the order which
is guaranteed to them outside of it We would
have them with US all the time. 1 re ommend
the adoption of a universal benefit plaa.
With regard to the charge that he was So
cialist Mr.. Powderly said: 1.-The declaration
OF principles OF the Knights of Labor contain
all of Socialism that care to advocate. never
cast a vote for the candidates of that party,
was never a member of any of it's sections.
The use of firearms or dynamite is not
advocated by the Socialists; the con.
fiscation of property or the distribution Of
wealth, or, in fact, the bestowing OF
wealth or means on those who have not worked
and earned it, is not Socialism, it is robbery,
it is rapine, and no sane man can advocate such
doctrine. If believing in the declaration of
all principles Of this order makes of me a
Socialist, then have no denial to make; but
that am member of any other society in
which questions of labor or reform are discussed
I do deny"
Mr. Powderly then recommends that the
Office of investigator be made permanent. CON
demned the practice of caucusing and lobbying
on the part of the members OF the order, and,
in conclusion, announced his perfect willing
ness to withdraw from Office # the assembly so
| desired.